1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a developing unit and an image forming apparatus having the same, and more particularly, to a developing unit, in which a developing agent storing part is closed by an agitating member, and an image forming apparatus having the developing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image forming apparatuses form an image onto printing media according to input signals, and include printers, copying machines, fax machines, and multi-functional machines combining their functions.
An electro-photographic image forming apparatus, which is a kind of an image forming apparatus, forms an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photo conductor by irradiating light onto the photo conductor charged with a designated electric potential, and forms a visible image by supplying a developing agent to the electrostatic latent image. The visible image formed on the photo conductor is transferred directly to a printing medium or transferred to the printing medium through an interim transfer body, and the image transferred to the printing medium is fixed to the printing medium through an image fixing process.
Here, a developing unit supplies the developing agent to the surface of the photo conductor. The developing unit includes a developing agent storing part to store the developing agent, a developing part to adhere the developing agent to the surface of the photo conductor so as to form a visible image, and an agitating member to agitate the developing agent stored in the developing agent storing part and transfer the developing agent to the developing part simultaneously.
Such a developing unit is a consumption article having a regular life, and is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus. The developing unit may be influenced by an external force, such as impact or vibration, during a carrying process before the developing unit is installed in the image forming apparatus, and thus the developing agent stored in the developing agent storing part may leak to the outside of the developing unit or scatter. In order to solve this problem, such as the leakage or scattering of the developing agent, a shielding film was conventionally attached to an inlet of the developing agent storing part in the final stage of the manufacturing process of the developing unit.
Thus, the conventional developing unit requires a user to directly remove the shielding film before the developing unit is installed in the image forming apparatus, thus causing inconvenience to the user.
Further, the conventional developing unit increases the total manufacturing cost due to the manufacturing cost of the shielding film and also increases the manufacturing time required because of the attaching of the shielding film to the developing unit.
Moreover, since the developing agent storing unit cannot be sealed again after the shielding member is removed once, if the image forming apparatus is not used for a long time, the developing agent scatters.